Giant Diet/Accommodation

Hello everyone. :wave:
I'm new to these forums, and new to rabbit ownership!

Me and my boyfriend just yesterday bought Benji - a six month old giant. We have been preparing for this for months, and have built an outdoor shed with a catflap and run attached to it. He also has plenty of toys and things to chew on in there. He doesn't know how to use the cat flap yet, but since it's only his second day with us, I'm not expecting too much!

The only thing is, that I'm terrified of doing something wrong, as I've never owned a rabbit before!
His shed is lined with Tarpaulin which has a layer of woodshavings on top. I've put hay in one corner near his food bowl, and I have a pile of straw in the area which was meant to be his bed. For the first night I left the carrier in there for him, as I wanted him to be warm and he seemed quite happy to get in and lie down. He didn't seem to actually sleep in the carrier though, and instead chose to lie by the door which didn't even have any straw. Does this mean he does not like his bed? I thought I had given him plenty of straw to lie on.

Also, another question is about diet. I have been giving him pellets in the morning and at night, but he seems to eat them really quickly so I have been refilling them, as perhaps the dish is too small for enough food for him? He has unlimited hay, although I found that he hasn't really eaten that much of it, even though I read that he is meant to have two lots of hay the size of his body twice a day. I also gave him a carrot yesterday and have given him one this morning, which he seemed to really enjoy!

Can anyone tell me if I'm doing anything wrong, as I don't want to either harm my rabbit or get him into bad habits!

Thanks

Welcome to the forum :wave:
We all have to start somewhere
mine sleep where they want to aswell i think its just where they find the most comfortable
i wouldnt give him carrot that much as it is full of sugar, mine get a little piece of it each week as a treat
Fudge - my lionhead eats her pellets quickly too but once she learns she wont get anymore pellets till nightime she starts to eat her hay :lol:

What hay do you give him ?
What pellets do you feed ?

We've bought the hay and pellets that Pets at Home recommended, it was their own brand (surprisingly(!).

They don't seem to have the hay on their website, but it's just a normal large sack of hay suitable for rabbits.

These are the pellets/nuggets:
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/junior-nugget-rabbit-food-4kg-by-pets-at-home-15658

We have to wean him off them gradually as he will be getting too old for it soon, so we bought a bag of the adult version too.

BigBunnyBenji said:

We've bought the hay and pellets that Pets at Home recommended, it was their own brand (surprisingly(!).

They don't seem to have the hay on their website, but it's just a normal large sack of hay suitable for rabbits.

These are the pellets/nuggets:
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/junior-nugget-rabbit-food-4kg-by-pets-at-home-15658

We have to wean him off them gradually as he will be getting too old for it soon, so we bought a bag of the adult version too.

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he may be a fussy hay eater, so maybe order some hay online. The Hay Experts sell good quality hay and even sell a sample pack of different types of hay. Or you could buy a farm bale.

http://www.thehayexperts.co.uk

Hiya, welcome to the forum.

Firstly, I'd recommend changing the sawdust to something else when you clean him out next, as it has been known to cause breathing problems in small animals. Is he neutered? If he is, he should be able to learn to use a litter tray, which would mean you wouldn't need to cover the whole floor. If he isn't, get him booked in soon!

I'd leave the carrier in there - he may not use it, but it's nice to know he has somewhere to snuggle down if he chooses. It doesn't mean he doesn't like it, rabbits often just like to sit in the cold and wet for some reason. But as long as he has the option, he'll be absolutely fine.

He may be eating less hay because he's eating more pellets, just like kids won't eat their tea if they fill up on sweets. Hay should be 90% of his diet, pellets 5% and fresh vegetables the other 5%. Lots of different websites recommend different amounts, some people only give pellets as a treat. A good rule of thumb is a tablespoon per kilo of weight. As long as he is eating plenty of hay, you're not starving him or anything like that. Vegetables, again some people don't feel them at all, or just as a treat. Personally I give a few stalks of herbs and a handful of greens such as curly kale twice a week or so. Things like carrots, spinach, peppers and fruit are very high in sugar and should only be given as a small treat every now and then. Carrot tops are good, though, and always go down a storm. Introduce anything new slowly and in small amounts, as they have sensitive tummies and rapid changes can upset them. If he's still not eating much hay after reducing pellets, try some different types of hay.

Hope that helped.

bethepoet said:

Hiya, welcome to the forum.

Firstly, I'd recommend changing the sawdust to something else when you clean him out next, as it has been known to cause breathing problems in small animals. Is he neutered? If he is, he should be able to learn to use a litter tray, which would mean you wouldn't need to cover the whole floor. If he isn't, get him booked in soon!

I'd leave the carrier in there - he may not use it, but it's nice to know he has somewhere to snuggle down if he chooses. It doesn't mean he doesn't like it, rabbits often just like to sit in the cold and wet for some reason. But as long as he has the option, he'll be absolutely fine.

He may be eating less hay because he's eating more pellets, just like kids won't eat their tea if they fill up on sweets. Hay should be 90% of his diet, pellets 5% and fresh vegetables the other 5%. Lots of different websites recommend different amounts, some people only give pellets as a treat. A good rule of thumb is a tablespoon per kilo of weight. As long as he is eating plenty of hay, you're not starving him or anything like that. Vegetables, again some people don't feel them at all, or just as a treat. Personally I give a few stalks of herbs and a handful of greens such as curly kale twice a week or so. Things like carrots, spinach, peppers and fruit are very high in sugar and should only be given as a small treat every now and then. Carrot tops are good, though, and always go down a storm. Introduce anything new slowly and in small amounts, as they have sensitive tummies and rapid changes can upset them. If he's still not eating much hay after reducing pellets, try some different types of hay.

Hope that helped.

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Great post. Said it all for me :thumb: my giants eat A LOT of everything Mine also sleep on the Lino, not in a carrier or on their hay.

I have two young growing french lops so not giant but still pretty large!

They are 2 of my 8 buns so i buy meadow hay from a local farm in bales! So much cheaper and nicer than pet shop hay. I have been known to feed P@H pellets but I have just settled ALL my buns onto adult Science selective pellets (I was feeding some them anyway) Molly and Willow (the frenchies are roughly 17 weeks old). They get two handfuls of pellets in the morning and two handfuls at night between them. They eat an awful lot of hay and forage and I have started introducing fresh herbs and a small amount of veggies which they both adore!

I have lino on the floor of their shed and I dont put anything down on that at all...I use underbed storage boxes for litter trays and use megazorb in the bottom of them and then lots of nice hay! :thumb: I dont put anything else on the lino as i find it so much easier to keep clean if I can just sweep the floor daily...they poop ALOT! :roll: I too leave their carrier in the shed stuffed full of hay for them to use as a snuggy if they want to but I dont know that they have ever used it!!

Oh and we need piccies!!! :thumb:

the fact he's sleeping by the door and not in his hay probably means hes plenty warm enough and there is probably a small draft near the door to cool him down, people have this thing that animals need plenty of straw at night forgetting they already have a fur coat, people allso do this with dogs and put coats on them which really bugs me,I can understand if its an ill dog or has no fur but they have fur coats for goodness sake why shove another coat on them and cook them! phew rant over sorry.
I am sure his home is just lovely for him and plenty of warmth without having to be in the straw,dosent mean he dosent like it, just needs to cool off, he could be lying in it when you arent looking in the depth of night when it does get chilly.
food they need more hay than pellets, although as one of mine is getting chuby I am not one to give advice here lol, are you going to be getting him a friend? rabbits love company

Thanks everyone for your advice

I am thinking of buying some lino this next weekend, as so many people have recommended it, and it does seem a lot easier to clean, as well as not being too hard or cold.

I brought Benji inside today in his indoor kennel to get him more used to human company, so while he was inside he did seem to eat a lot more of the hay and straw, as I left his biscuits in the shed. I make sure to give him plenty of hay, he is never short of it! He also seemed to really like lying on newspaper whilst he was around the house, so I am considering putting some inside his shed.

He isn't yet neutered, I will be taking him to Vets for Pets this week sometime to hopefully get it arranged. At the moment all he likes to do with his litter tray is tip it up and move it around! I've been putting his droppings inside the tray to try and encourage him to go there.

I know that he has fur to keep him warm, but I was just concerned about him being cold by the door, since he will only have ever slept in a store, so it might be quite a bit cooler in his shed. But, it seems like a lot of people's rabbits choose to lie on the floor instead of beds, so I'm not as worried about that now.

I would love to get him a mate, but I just don't think his shed would be big enough for two. He is such a friendly rabbit, he seems to really enjoy being around people, and is happy to come up and sniff us, and was thinking of climbing on my knee earlier, but he may have just been interested in my jumper! :lol:

Here is a photo of him in his indoor kennel, I don't yet have any of him in his playhouse:

Can you not build a run off the shed? I have a shed with a walk in aviary style run attached which they have permanent access to. Rabbits really are generally happier with a friend especially if they live outside.

molly35 said:

Can you not build a run off the shed? I have a shed with a walk in aviary style run attached which they have permanent access to. Rabbits really are generally happier with a friend especially if they live outside.

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His shed does have a run attached to it, and he has a catflap in the shed so that he can get in and out without his shed getting too cold.

I was told that as long as he was given plenty of attention, he would be fine alone. He comes in the house for at least six hours a day, so he has plenty of interaction with people and some of the other animals.

Hi, welcome to the forum! :wave: there aren't many of us in lancs!
Benji looks gorgeous
It sounds like you've got a great set up for him and well done for coming on here to learn about what's best for him :thumb:
I don't know if you're aware, but it can be quite dangerous for an outside bunny to be brought inside for a bit then put back outside again, particularly in winter when the temperature difference can be quite a lot. It can stop them growing a thick winter coat, as they need to acclimatise for that to happen. If he has to live outside it is best to leave him outside until spring at least, which is why people are suggesting a friend for him :wave:
Even if he is with you for 6 hours a day, he will still be alone for 18 hours addy, probably at the times when bunnies are most active (early morning
and late at night). It is lovely seeing your bunny snuggling up with and:grooming their partner
Of course it is up to you whether you choose to get a friend for Benji, people are just advising what they think will make him happiest :wave:

ripminnie said:

Hi, welcome to the forum! :wave: there aren't many of us in lancs!
Benji looks gorgeous
It sounds like you've got a great set up for him and well done for coming on here to learn about what's best for him :thumb:
I don't know if you're aware, but it can be quite dangerous for an outside bunny to be brought inside for a bit then put back outside again, particularly in winter when the temperature difference can be quite a lot. It can stop them growing a thick winter coat, as they need to acclimatise for that to happen. If he has to live outside it is best to leave him outside until spring at least, which is why people are suggesting a friend for him :wave:
Even if he is with you for 6 hours a day, he will still be alone for 18 hours addy, probably at the times when bunnies are most active (early morning
and late at night). It is lovely seeing your bunny snuggling up with and:grooming their partner
Of course it is up to you whether you choose to get a friend for Benji, people are just advising what they think will make him happiest :wave:

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Thank you.

I really would love to get him a friend, but I just don't think the playhouse would fit two giants, and I didn't think it was a good idea to get a smaller breed rabbit with a giant. A smaller rabbit would probably have plenty of room in the playhouse though. Is it advisable to get a smaller breed with a giant, or is there a problem with one being bigger than the other?
It's honestly the saddest part of my day, putting Benji to bed at night, I hate leaving him alone because he's a baby. He has already started to build up some trust with me and has started to lie against me and tuck his head under my hand to be stroked.

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/GiantRabbitCareGuidelines.pdf

Welcome to RU. It's a great source of expertise.
Benji sounds fab & it sounds like you did well with your research prior to getting him.
A shed is great for giant buns.
I have a Flemish Giant who lives in a wendy house/enclosure combo with her partner so they have plenty of space, even though her husbun is a Nethie!
I think the link above covers the basics for giants really well

BigBunnyBenji said:

Thank you.

I really would love to get him a friend, but I just don't think the playhouse would fit two giants, and I didn't think it was a good idea to get a smaller breed rabbit with a giant. A smaller rabbit would probably have plenty of room in the playhouse though. Is it advisable to get a smaller breed with a giant, or is there a problem with one being bigger than the other?
It's honestly the saddest part of my day, putting Benji to bed at night, I hate leaving him alone because he's a baby. He has already started to build up some trust with me and has started to lie against me and tuck his head under my hand to be stroked.

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I have 5 buns living together, smallest being a lionhead and biggest a conti. Size doesn't matter

molly35 said:

I have 5 buns living together, smallest being a lionhead and biggest a conti. Size doesn't matter

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That's good to know, I think I will have to get him some company then, as when I return to work next week, he won't be able to spend all day inside with me.

He spends days indoors with me at the moment, to get him used to me and the other pets I have, but he will have to live in the playhouse and run next week, while I work 9 - 5, so I think he will need some company. In the evenings, he can come into the house when I get home from work, but he definitely needs something to keep him from getting lonely.

:thumb: that's great :wave: did you see the bit i said about bringing outdoor buns inside? It really isn't good for them
[
QUOTE=BigBunnyBenji;5697715]That's good to know, I think I will have to get him some company then, as when I return to work next week, he won't be able to spend all day inside with me.

He spends days indoors with me at the moment, to get him used to me and the other pets I have, but he will have to live in the playhouse and run next week, while I work 9 - 5, so I think he will need some company. In the evenings, he can come into the house when I get home from work, but he definitely needs something to keep him from getting lonely.[/QUOTE]

I have a big bunny too and was a little worried she might accidentally squish a normal sized husbun but when I went to my local rescue they have a huge bun who bonded herself with a teeny boy so I was less worried!
If you have a rescue near you and I'm sure you will, they can help your bun meet some suitable partners and may even help bond them for you, once he's neutered of course. It's always nice to know you're giving a home to a bun who really needs it too. They don't need extra space either, a playhouse and decent run will be great for them :thumb: